9 Things You Can Do to Save Water

Eat One More Vegetarian Meal a Week

Why it’s worth the effort: It takes a lot of water to grow the grain to feed the cow that ultimately produces a hamburger. Replacing just four ounces of beef in your diet a week with a vegetarian option can save more than 3,000 gallons of water.
 Your one-year effect: 171,704 gallons of water saved.
 The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: More than twice the volume of water in the Chesapeake Bay.
 
 

Use a Lower Setting on Your Dishwasher

Why it’s worth the effort: Contrary to popular belief, it’s almost never necessary to use the normal setting on a dishwasher or to rinse plates beforehand. The light-wash setting cleans just as well while reducing water use up to 55 percent.
 Your one-year effect: 2,860 gallons of water saved.
 The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the amount of water that would cover Rhode Island by a foot.
 
 

Install Faucet Aerators

Why it’s worth the effort: Faucets account for 15 percent of indoor water use and typically flow at twice the rate they should. Installing aerators in kitchen and bathroom sinks fixes this problem for only a dollar or two per sink.
 Your one-year effect: 1,000 gallons of water saved.
 The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the 10-day water supply for New York City.